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Dobson Mine Entrance
Both entrances went down into the hill above Dobson (on the eastern end of Dobson) both went for around a Km or so & then did a 180 degrees turn and headed out toward and below Greymouth and the Tasman.
The entrances were only about 150 meters from the main Greymouth to Reefton highway. There was also a "return airway" tunnel about 100 meters from where the highway began to go along with a drop to the river and a cliff on the other side, There was a huge fan there, sucking fresh air through both the other tunnels and right throughout the mine.Map[1] ContributorMargaret Elaine Sadler
I went down there one day with dad. it was dark and extremely hot and claustrophobic, We went down on the trolley. Dad said sometimes you could hear whistling from the gas escaping from the coal
Pauline Schafer
I went down there too before it closed. I believe the workers were allowed to take their families for a look.
William Glendenning
As some of you may remember, I made a comment on one other posting regarding Dobson mine, I worked there for around 4 years as an apprentice electrician.
To answer Zody Ensor's question, there were 2 entrances to the mine, almost side by side. one for the workers to use and one for the rope road which brought out full coal skips and took empty skips back down, via an endless rope.
Both entrances went down into the hill above Dobson (on the eastern end of Dobson) both went for around a Km or so & then did a 180 degrees turn and headed out toward and below Greymouth and the Tasman.
The entrances were only about 150 meters from the main Greymouth to Reefton highway. There was also a "return airway" tunnel about 100 meters from where the highway began to go along with a drop to the river and a cliff on the other side, There was a huge fan there, sucking fresh air through both the other tunnels and right throughout the mine.
Cheers William (Bill) Glendenning
Florence Gunn
hello Pauline, hope the world is treating you well.
Pauline Schafer
Hi Florence, yes it is thanks. Hope you are well too?
Alan Sheehan
Went down there too, my late uncle Jack took Neville and I down there.
Kevin Sheehan
Yes I remember going down the mine with Jack as a kid
Neil Wick
Sir Bernard Ferguson, Governor General took a school trip with Dobson School, down the mine. Can't remember the year tho.
Bev Huston
Our Dad (Frank Martin) was Electrician at Dobson Mine when it went on fire; we were going for a Sunday drive and Dad noticed smoke coming out the air vent between Dobson and Wallsend. Within hours of the fire being reported he was first down the drive with the telephone cables for the Mines Rescue team to set up communications. His comment about that was 'The rats were coming out and I was going down; if there is a hell, I think that's what it would be like. “
Graeme Williams
I was employed by State Coal on the mine survey team during the 1960's and spent many days down the Dobson mine and Blackball mines before they closed, also Strongman, Rewanui No 2 & 3 and mines in the Reefton area.
Florence Gunn
Remember the mine 'Bumps" like jolly earthquakes, always made us more aware of our husbands etc down the mine and hoping they were safe
Graeme Williams
These heaves or bumps as you call them were very scary at first, but after awhile you became accustom to them and got on with the job.
Evelyn Hampton
We went down there once on a school trip when the Southburn school came to visit in about 1965 - all of us on little trolleys, no helmets, went to the coal face - wouldn't happen these days , we didn't feel unsafe at all ...
Heather Newby
Dad still talks about the bumps. There is an incredible amount of gas in west coast mines
Heather Newby
Graeme Williams Dad told me that when he took a rookie down the mine they were terrirfied by all the heaving noises ... but he said you get used to the sounds and know which ones you have to run from. he said most of the bumps happened in the weekends. Dad just told me he knows you.
Graeme Williams
The heaving, bumps and shudders were like small 'quakes and were very scarey but after a while you got used to them. Heather what is your fathers name?
Vernon Pattinson
the bumps where under our house meny a time
Heather Newby
Harold Newby He lives at Kowhai manor now. He is 91. His crossmate was Jimmy Hagan at one time and Russell Mc Master, Graeme Williams
Leslie McKendry
Des McKendry, (Dad) was a miner at Dobson and finished as Deputy when he had to leave 1968 with advanced Arthritis. He took myself and other Family members down the Mine several times. I found it really interesting although my Sister was that fussed...
I was on one trip when a "bump' occurred not far from us, a lot of coal had burst out from the tunnel wall and was scattered over the walk & rail ways. That shortened the trip for us somewhat...
Bazza Morland
Went down that hole twice .
Wayne Nicholson
I well remember as youngster being taken down the mine by my grandfather . Such an adventure for a ten year old. Can you imagine that being allowed today ?
· Reply · 13h
Heather Newby
Admin
Wayne Nicholson I was standing near dad when he put a few sticks of dynamite in a hole he drilled with a ten foot drill.. and he said" stand back while he blew up the coalface.
Wayne Nicholson
Heather Newby . That would have great !
John White
Was your father Mine Manager` at that time Bill?
James Newby
Dad took me down there once and let me fire a shot,among other things,
Wayne Nicholson
PC brigade would have every one in court today !
Vern Pattinson
Dad and my 2 brother's worked at the Dobson mine
Naireen Bass
I was friends with Jim Connews daughter & he took us down for a look. Probably 1965/66.
Naireen Bass irene Connew. She was my friend too. I wonder where she is now?
Naireen Bass
Heather Newby small world! Irene is in the North Island these days.
Cathy Howat
I just recall Dobson working. We left the Coast for Picton in 57 when I was 2. Holidayed there for years. We exchanged houses with the Sheedy family from Blaketown, they lived down by the airport about 4 house from the end of the road.
Ed Dando
I went down the Dobson mine as a school boy and got a job there in the school holidays
Mark Thomson
Shame I missed seeing it in action. I’ve tried to look for the entrance, but I don’t know if it was visible from the road.
Sue Eade
Was at Dobson school when they took our class down the mine.
Judith Mccormick
Sue Eade our class didn't get to go down
Mike Waghorne
I went down the mine once with my step-father, Len Green - probably illegally, I am sure since I was only 11 or 12. Spent the day down there and was completely fascinated. What surprised me was: the white stone dust scattered all over the place to keep the coal dust from floating in the air, an explosion risk; and all the white mice which the miners fed - a rodent equivalent to the canary in the coal mine.
Gavin Menzies
My dad Bill Menzies worked there in the sixties, had to move to ch-ch when it closed around '69
Paul Sutton
Linda Sutton-Williams, our old smoko room on the right
Linda Sutton-Williams
Paul Sutton we brought the mine site and set up a moss factory Found many Relics As a child I went down the mine with my school and Dad Jimmy Williams
Linda Sutton-Williams
Paul Sutton yr right Paul That was. Managers office in the day Remember the day Dad hit the seal of the Entrance with the digger bucket
Linda Sutton-Williams
Valda May Pattinson Christine Hebberd Sheryl Walker
Debbie Ansett
Went down the mine on a school tripKaren Jackson
My father in law worked there for a couple of years in the early 1940's, Alf Jackson.
.Garry Wick
My dad was the check weigh - man for the mine company Along with Jock white , who was the weigh-man for the union .
· Reply · 3h
Heather Reid
Been down there heaps of times
Naireen Bass
I was friends with Jim Connews daughter & he took us down for a look. Probably 1965/66.
Naireen Bass irene Connew. She was my friend too. I wonder where she is now?
Kath Merv Moreton
Naireen Bass I remember a Glenys Connew as well.
Naireen Bass
Kath Merv Moreton ,yes, & a brother whose name won't come to me at the moment.
Naireen Bass
Four children - Glennis, Judith, Irene & Adrian
Bill Ratcliffe
Bill glendenning where r u these days often wondered where u were
Paul Sutton
Linda Sutton-Williams, our old smoko room on the right
Linda Sutton-Williams
Paul Sutton we brought the mine site and set up a moss factory Found many Relics As a child I went down the mine with my school and Dad Jimmy Williams
Linda Sutton-Williams
Paul Sutton yr right Paul That was. Managers office in the day Remember the day Dad hit the seal of the Entrance with the digger bucket
Mike Pattinson
Paul Sutton I remember the old Smoko room, a lot of shit talked in there Did not realise the entrance was right there.
Dave Steers
My dad was engineer there till it closed and cleaned up. They retrained miners in bathhouse to block lay if I remember write.
Thelma Coutts
My Dad looked after the lamp cabin. One night he took me to the top of the entrance and said. See that little light down there, that’s where Happy Hogarth is and you have just been talking to him. It seemed so strange.
Dave Steers
Thelma Coutts remember your dad cutting my hair heaps off times
Thelma Coutts
Yes, he was the barber in Dobson.
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin
Hi Thelma, Your dad used to cut our hair in the lamp cabin. He used to us tell to go straight home and wash it as it stopped the bleeding. Funny the things you still remember. being about seven I must of thought it was true.
Arthur Blance
My father worked there 21 years .
Thelma Coutts
My Dad looked after the lamp cabin. One night he took me to the top of the entrance and said. See that little light down there, that’s where Happy Hogarth is and you have just been talking to him. It seemed so strange.
Dave Steers
Thelma Coutts remember your dad cutting my hair heaps off times
Thelma Coutts
Yes, he was the barber in Dobson.
Brian Steele
Thelma Coutts we lived next to them on the main road opposite the railway station
Mark Thomson
Shame I missed seeing it in action. I’ve tried to look for the entrance, but I don’t know if it was visible from the road.
Brian Steele
Mark Thomson the mine entrance was immediately in front of the mine offices and are still there
Brian Steele
The fans were located above the road where the water pipe goes across the river to Taylorville
Wayne Nicholson
I well remember as youngster being taken down the mine by my grandfather . Such an adventure for a ten year old. Can you imagine that being allowed today ?
Wayne Nicholson I was standing near dad when he put a few sticks of dynamite in a hole he drilled with a ten foot drill.. and he said" stand back while he blew up the coalface.
Wayne Nicholson
Heather Newby . That would have great !
Wayne Nicholson I didnt have to stand back too far either. and he showed me the gas which was whistling out of the coalface that he had just blown up.He said" put your hand up" so i did and the gas was hot. That would have been about 1963.
· Reply · 2d · Edited
Robin Gibbens
Wayne Nicholson shit , the best thing he could have done mate was to leave you down there.I also was taken down at about the same age by my Father, but that was a lot longer after you as your a old bastard mate
Margaret Wilde
We're you there in 1964?
Wayne Nicholson
Robin Gibbens . That'll keep Mr Gibbens.
Jock Allen
Heather Newby when Blackball mine closed we were transfered to Dobson and Rewanui mines worked at Dobson with alot of the Guys that have been mentiond I was on the roperoad with Trevor Thomas and Ozzie Buckman Good times they were
Linda Sutton-Williams
Valda May Pattinson Christine Hebberd Sheryl Walker
Valda May Pattinson
Linda Sutton-Williams We went down that mine with dad ay sisters. Couldn’t get over at the time that our dad had to work in a place like that .
Vern Pattinson
Valda May Pattinson good old Jimmy Williams
Colin Pattinson
I worked there coupling up the boxes and clipping off on the top rope
Garry Wick
My dad was the check weigh - man for the mine company Along with Jock white , who was the weigh-man for the union .
John White
Garry Wick
Hello Garry. And from there my Dad went on to become National Secretary for the Union. Remember you ‘Wicks’ up the hill there with the Griffins. Good memories of good people. John
Garry Wick
Hi to you also from Victoria Canada .
Thelma Coutts
He always had a great sense of humour and loved kids.
Thelma Coutts
Yes, Being the post girl I remember where you lived in Dobson. Mrs Dean lived next to your house Colin Pattinson. Some times I sit and go house by house around Dobson and name who lived in each house. Great the things that amuse one.
Thomas Peter Mulligan
Great photograph
Joyce Creagh
Lived in Dobson 70years never went down mine but late husband Brian worked there 25 years .
James Newby
I’ve recently been given a set of plans of the under ground workings of Dobson Mine, I’m looking at getting copies made if anyone is interested in obtaining a set for the cost of printing and post let me know.
Mark Thomson
James Newby yes please
Rachel Taplin
Yes please
Colin Pattinson
I have the original copy given to me by Percy Maugham
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